Ranking Every Ash Ketchum Rival from Worst to Best

Over 8 different regions Ash Ketchum has accumulated some amazing rivals, from Gary to Leon here's my rankings of them ALL!
Thank you for checking out this video, and please let me know what you think of it!
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[@alphakraut]

Its so sad that *Gary* and *Paul* never met each other. I think this would have been a badass interaction and a even better fight.

[@tyrantneptune3202]

I'm also sad that Paul never got to fight Ash's Charizard, like, that'd shut him up

[@gabrieldevoogel6225]

@@tyrantneptune3202charizard would’ve had a trauma induced rage attack, did you see how Paul treated his mon’s charizard would’ve ignored ash and beaten PAUL down, screw battling his monsters

[@pimpking5000]

​@@gabrieldevoogel6225 charizard and infernape were obtained under similar circumstances so that rage would be real

[@CashoutRenny224]

Ngl shoutout Nando for having the time and effort to compete on almost every contest, beat the 8 gym leaders, and still have the time to train his Pokémon for the two

[@cliffturbo2146]

He's not wasting any time

[@tawnyacosta9091]

Exactly! Thank you!! 😊 It’s so sad how done dirty the writers did sweet Nando 😭🎶

[@cmkalyan516]

Yeah Jack of all trades, master of none

[@yatmanilyas154]

Paul is more of a rival, but Gary is a friend. Your biggest rival is always your best friend. Ash vs Gary Legend!!!

[@CJM94]

Gary is friend/rival Paul is just rival

[@NarutoTsunadefan1]

I mean at the end of the day, Ash is the anime’s Red and Gary is it’s Blue. It makes sense that the two are as close as they are. Look at how close Red and Blue are in later games.

[@whichDude]

Gary only became a real friend after Kanto. Guy was a toxic friend until he was humbled in Kanto league.

[@aganbraganca4156]

gary was a bully to ash in kanto

[@gabrieldevoogel6225]

@@whichDudeyeah,,, so toxic how he encouraged you and kept competing with the person he was put in competition with by his own grandfather, Gary and blue are literally just those types of guys who are a bit rude but not awful people

[@dayvonlouis5187]

Paul/Shinji to me is Ash’s greatest rival he challenge Ash’s entire philosophy as a trainer, had the power to back it up and his win record on Ash is still in his favor Ash still won where it mattered most but he only got there by acknowledging Paul’s points and realized that the “power of friendship” alone won’t be enough and during that league match giving how close it was shows how much effort he put into it their rival was easily one of the best I’ve seen in the Pokémon anime

[@Berlinh2]

i have to agree definitely ash never had depression as much as he had with Paul

[@GAdget-ElWalkmen65-fb5vp]

Nope. Power alone won't be enough. and also evil Paul is still wrong I disagreed.

[@GAdget-ElWalkmen65-fb5vp]

@@Berlinh2 Nope I disagree evil Pau never had depression.

[@GAdget-ElWalkmen65-fb5vp]

Paul learned through experience that relying solely on power is insufficient in Pokémon battles.

[@BlueberrySunshineBlox]

Barry be like: hey where am i, im gonna find you! 😂❤

[@Avnhatris]

Barry's real words: hey where am I, I am going to fine you

[@Shiny-Red-Wolf]

Needs more CAPS lol I feel like he was always shouting at you

[@jenniferdaniels701]

Nando was Zoey's Paul in a way. Nowhere near as antagonistic, but Zoey thought that trainers should stick to one kind of battling- gyms or contests, you can't do both. But competing against Nando helped her open her eyes to how one can help with the other.

[@zeospark9715]

Yeah and I am glad Nando helped her open her eyes. I remember being younger and hated Zoey because I felt she has no right to criticize someone going for Gym Battles and Contests. It's their life and their decision she can't control that. Nando definitely needed to beat Zoey to crush that mindset of hers (since she also treated Ash rudly for that as well but calmed down once she realized Ash only entered the Contest for Aipom's sake). It's also cool to remember that Nando was one of very few people to beat Zoey in a contest

[@CashoutRenny224]

Underrated Opinion: I liked Sawyer vs Ash more than Alain vs Ash

[@Uknownlyknown]

U can't just talk about ur opinion and say that it's underrated because u urself are exaggerating the opinion #kidsoninternetnowadays

[@dayvonlouis5187]

Sawyer is pretty cool and grew pretty well as a trainer though Alain was that wall that Ash knew he had to beat

[@btpati]

I just kind of hope that ash Will get his rematch with Alain

I understand this is all your opinion but I hate it when Gary tops Paul. This is not an opinion from my side, Paul is THE greatest rival Ash has ever had just purely because of their connection. They're different side of the same coin. Paul is (was) a complete antithesis to everything that Ash stands for. This rivarly is beyond perfection. Gary is just a jerk who is one step ahead of Ash, he just annoys Ash because they had known each other since childhood. But Paul is the only rival that genuinely makes Ash's blood boil with his methods.

[@Jervenshmine]

Very well said. Paul was an extremely well written rival for the exact reasons you stated; he is the exact opposite of ash

[@bobbob7775]

No gary

[@GAdget-ElWalkmen65-fb5vp]

@@Jervenshmine "No, he isn't exceptionally well-written." but a flaw.

[@meheecan123]

I always thought Nando was a Bad guy I guess cause his cape and hat made it seem like a mysterious villain but turns out he's actually a pretty cool dude 😎

[@tawnyacosta9091]

Nando is the BEST Pokeboy 😊💖🎶

[@ferb9623]

Paul will always be the best rival for me

[@thatboyminus]

Why tho?

[@ferb9623]

@@thatboyminus because paul is just too good and perfect for ash,they are basically the two sides of the same coin,i dont remember any other rival who challenged ash idealogically and even if they did,i doubt they reached the level of paul,when ash defeated paul,it gave me even more satisfaction than when ash defeated gary

[@Jervenshmine]

​@@ferb9623 frrr especially the infernape v electivire fight. The last second blaze activation because of Paul's comment was so badass

[@100StepProgram]

@@thatboyminuswhy? Because he’s the best plain and simple

[@jetguy128]

@@thatboyminus why not just ask why pikachu is most popular pokemon?

[@giboit.]

I think Leon has more depth than you're getting credit for. In the games he's easily the most fleshed out champion of any pokemon game. We know literally everything about him. Including things like how he got his starter, who trained him, his gym challenge, his friends, his rival and what happened to him after he lost his title. And in the anime they make a lot of emphasis in the similarities between him and Ash. In their love for battles, the love for pokemon and the desire to find new highs.

[@psychopat4402]

THANK YOU Leon is my favorite champion because I respect him and he respects me back. He’s a very nice person and feels responsible for us kids. There’s so much more to his character than just “he’s strong” 🤣 anyone with that attitude clearly didn’t pay much attention to the story.

[@jenniferdaniels701]

He might be more fleshed out in the games, but in the anime, he's just the one who teaches Ash about dynamax/ gigantamax in their first (tutorial) battle, and we see him a couple times, but he's always more of a goal than the brohterly type he kinda is while dealing with the Darkest Day/ all of the dynamaxed/ gigantamaxed pokemon randomly appearing around the region. Too bad Ash wasn't Magnolia's research assistant- or Cerise's lab being in Galar. Then we could have seen more of Leon, more battles against him.

[@_VapoRub_]

Awesome video as always! :3 I honestly loved Sawyer in my opinion. He started off as such a rookie when Ash first met him, then Sawyer quickly became one of the most powerful Ash rivals ever! I know there's better rivals than him, but Sawyer is still great and my favourite in my opinion. :3 (Also, sorry I'm late-)

[@thatboyminus]

Thank you Vapo! ❤️❤️❤️

[@mikeburnette2190]

Nice video. I kind of think Conway and Trip should trade spots, because Conway was known for finding the best answers to his opponents...something he did attempt in the Sinnoh League, but as you said...didn't happen. Trip is just plain uninteresting, and he's a mix of both Gary and Paul...being a real smart-alec, however Gary and Paul have been known to indirectly help Ash on occasion. Trip did, but the same, but still has that snide side. Gary is that person everyone wants to choke, because he flaunts his family name...so I'd have him in 2nd place. Paul is going to be Ash's greatest rival, because they pushed one another, and every time Ash felt he was closing the gap...Paul would show something new. That's something that can't be ignored, because Paul was always finding ways to become better.

[@pepito2847]

I really gotta watch more Pokémon X and Y instead of just clips on KZbin The Sawyer and Ash dynamic sounds amazing

[@thatboyminus]

Yes, I just rewatched it all for this video and I love it.

[@dayvonlouis5187]

It’s my favorite entry in the entire anime franchise you won’t be disappointed by much unless you count the mid to low movies that popped up around this era

[@conchadeconchos]

Drapion taking out half of ash team is actually insane stuff. Just that one match changed my perception of that purple bug

[@zeospark9715]

I've been a fan of Drapion ever since it pretty much helped me throughout Pokemon Y thanks to Poison/Dark being such an amazing typing once Fairy was added as a typing (and he also completely walled Diantha's Mega Gardevior lol)

[@JustinDrinkwalter]

I definitely agree with Gary being the most influential on Ash, given their longstanding relationship. As much as I liked Goh and his character arc, seeing Gary travel with Ash (which was never going to happen since Gary always went solo (aside from his cheerleaders) would've been really cool.

[@bremaster93]

You’re one of the few people out there who pronounces Unova correctly. Also great video. 😁

[@thatboyminus]

Thanks!

[@The_usual_commenter]

Uuu no va

[@slivorywings2821]

Quick question: How do you usually hear it ? "

[@BigSlim4]

Paul clears as best rival, he tested ash on a philosophical level

[@Rexred09]

Why is Gary the GOAT and not Paul in the thumbnail?

[@RedPineap]

It's his opinion

[@Milly24627]

Well Paul is way more than just a “jerk” lol

[@mackynjing2192]

Because he lacks judgement skills

[@TheAnthonyMarlowe]

It’s a subjective opinion. You lack critical thinking skills. (The term you reached for and tripped over a rock trying to grasp the concept of) ba ha.

[@martianfrog7273]

because Gary is

[@sSuper3roryt]

I love how the most rival ash have learned from is paul training. Maybe batting. Maybe make him realise that he can’t Always win?

[@tawnyacosta9091]

Nando is my absolute favorite character 🎶 And I agree, I wish Nando showed up a lot more! He is such a great character. It’s just sad how underrated Nando is, and how done dirty he was 😭 Nando deserves so much more love 😊 And I am still hoping Nando makes a return, or a cameo, at least, sometime in the future of Pokemon 😊🙏🏻🎶

[@thatboyminus]

Agreed!

[@tawnyacosta9091]

@@thatboyminus I also agree that the Kricketune vs Heracross fight in Nando and Ash’s Sinnoh League battle was absolute dope! Definitely the best part of the battle. 😊✨

[@fromhimandforhim]

I feel like Misty actually could've been on this list too if Kiawe was. She has had a bunch of battles with Ash over the years and even tops him sometimes

[@ajinkyashembekar]

Its pretty weird that it is Alain who is the real protagonist of the XYZ series...he worked at Prof Sycamore's lab....worked with Lysandre...mastered mega Evolution...fought with the elite 4...met Ash...battled and defeated him twice to become the Kalos champion & in the climax....he was the one who was inspired by Ash to fight back against Lysandre and was successful in defeating him along with Ash and everyone else....the man had a complete character arc along with his brother as well....and the dude's got a Mega Charizard...what more is left??

[@sSuper3roryt]

This video added more reason for me rewatch some of the best seasons in Pokémon like sun and moon and x y and z abd

[@Niall_Sene]

Great video, it was fun to hear your thoughts on each of Ash's rivals, and it's a pretty solid ranking, although I would like to share my thoughts too, warning, it's a bit long lol. I think Paul is probably Ash's best rival, as from the beginning of Ash's Sinnoh journey we were introduced to him and come to find out he has progressed through the same 3 regions as Ash, they were on an even playing field, but each had a different ideology about training Pokemon. Ash vs. Paul is the Goku vs. Vegeta of the Pokemon anime, two people battling it out to prove whose philosophy is right, and Ash proved his by beating Paul with the Infernape he had abused and abandoned as a Chimchar. I still think Gary is probably Ash's next best rival, but Ash and Paul's rivalry goes beyond proving who's stronger. I also think you misunderstood Leon, I don't think he is just a hollow powerhouse, I think he is actually a reflection of Ash, and what he could be like in the future, but my comment is long enough as it is so I don't think it's necessary to break down his character.

[@sSuper3roryt]

Yeah when a ash’s Pikachu lost to snivy just because there is no electric type attack I feel like I was the most disappointed person on Earth it really showed how ash without thunderbolt is just satoshi

[@adantelee5017]

I thought Paul was gonna be number 1. Also suggestion, full video on every pokemon Ash has ever owned and your opinion on them, id just do the pokemon that appear in Pikachu’s vision during its battle against Leon’s Charizard in the Masters 8 finals

[@Sakurasan2023]

I think Paul should be #1 in Rival

[@adantelee5017]

@@Sakurasan2023 Me too

[@user-qv6je7pu5w]

Bro Paul was a nuzlocker locked in the anime

[@shrutarshihalder2908]

As a fellow original series enjoyer I see a W

[@isaacmillerrailroadproduct1773]

Ash should have brought over Charizard for that second Trip battle. He would have undoubtedly pulverized Trip’s team. I wonder what he would have thought of “the boonies” after that. Trip along with the changes to Team Rocket made me not enjoy Best Wishes.

[@GAdget-ElWalkmen65-fb5vp]

Paul DID NOT learned the hard way that in Pokemon battles, power alone is not enough,

[@kirbydude667]

94th!!!!!! I love your videos.

[@oldscoolgaming6700]

Paul needs to be arrested for pokémon abuse.

[@idenaidek7136]

Gary is the best

[@atharsiddiqui4021]

A part of me really wanted RED to be what Leon was as Ash's Final Rival in Maters 8 it would have been an epic conclusion to Ash's story and a great service to the fans of both Pokemon games and anime to see to goats clash!!

[@platypus3674]

"Kakui is and always will be Ash's true dad. And thanks to him, Ash is the champion that he is today." Bro forgot about Mr. Mime

[@mikeburnette2190]

Something I feel that should have been mentioned about Paul as ash's rival: The relationship the two had in the Diamond and Pearl saga is one of the most iconic, because its been utilized so many times. You look at Goku and Vegeta from the Dragon Ball franchise...Goku is Ash in the sense he believes getting stronger through the bonds with his friends, as well as pushing himself to shatter his limits. Vegeta is paul, more or less refusing to believe such things, believing only in his own strength and driven by rage. Look at Naruto with Naruto, Hashirama Senju, and Asura Otsutsuki, who believe in protecting their friends, whereas Sasuke, Madara, and Indra all believe in strength. One of the most iconic examples of this is also seen in Marvel with the X-Men...more specifically Professor Charles Xavier, who is like goku and Naruto, Hashirama, and Asura, wanting to co-exist peacefully with humans, despite being a mutant, while his rival Magneto wants to bring violence and war, making mutants superior to humans. Remember it was stated both Ash and Paul were mirror sides of the same coin, as well as Cynthia stating "when one life meets another life...something will be born."

[@Drumming_Dragon]

it's a good sign when the game characters are in the top 10

[@AnimationisTHEfuture]

Never let bro cook again. You litterally put Trip over Nando and forgot about Bianca????

[@twishashishroy3242]

A lot of people say Paul is Ash's greatest rival. And I am not going to be the one to tell them otherwise, but for my money's worth the rival that has meant the most to Ash, heck even the character that has had the most influence on Ash, is his OG rival Gary MF Oak. He is somehow always intertwined with Ash's path. I strongly feel like Ash and Gary are to Pokemon what Vegeta and Goku are to Dragon Ball or what Sasuke and Naruto are to Naruto or what Gon and Killua are (sorta) in Hunter x Hunter. It was ABSOLUTELY FITTING of Gary to be the one to ask Ash the question, how close is he in becoming a Pokemon master now that he has won the world championships, thereby as always inspiring Ash to set on a new journey. If Pokemon ever gives us an anime with adult Ash, I so hope Gary is there as his eternal rival with both of them always schooling each other philosophically.

[@raihanmiah9187]

Morrison deserves a mention

[@sSuper3roryt]

I really love how without all of these rivals ash would have been not a champion at all it shows how rival or obstacles there is no improvement or goals it shows how every battle ash has with his rivals no matter winning or losing it still gives ash a lesson to learn I feel like I’m good at Pokémon battles just cause I watch him battle but if course with out the most OP move in Pokémon “Dodge it” too op to be in a game but hey there is Block if other moves that do that like protect and all.

[@zachschmitt3654]

Paul should be #1 The only reason to she Ash vs Alan again, is if Ash reused Greninja, which he didn’t so… Besides I like Leon vs Alan because it was like, u know that super strong Charizard Ash never beat, this guys is even STRONGER! 😂

[@seanbandmommy6898]

I love the last battle ash vs bea

[@KaizoKitsune625]

Barry, Tyson, Morrison, and Cameron: Are we a joke to you

[@user-sp9ui8bi7i]

I always remember that 1 scene in diamond and pearl were on.Zoe says ash couldn't do contest in Jim battle at the same time.When we know that stupid.I mean, what do you know about this kid?You buried us you really know him

[@gamerookie09]

RIP Barry fans. Lol They did battle three times in the DP series. During his introduction, the twin leaf festival, and the one on one battle where Ash uses Gible. They just didn’t battle in the sinnoh league.

[@thatboyminus]

He was essentially fodder

[@gamerookie09]

@@thatboyminus Pretty much lol

[@aftabsayed2825]

Next video, "Rating all the Final battle's form the Pokemon anime" 😊

[@zero_sakura0036]

I love Gary, Paul and Barry

[@liambutler4619]

Gary,Paul, Sawyer,Leon,Alain, and Gladion will be the best Rivals in my opinion in the whole Anime and my favourites

[@liambutler4619]

Thanks for liking my comment

[@shandog7]

Infernape activating Blaze is like Goku using Kaioken

[@laxusstrauss5945]

Paul was better of a rival than gary on every single aspect they were portrayed as two faces of the same coin He literally pushed ash to surpass his limits And beating him was literally his goal more than winning the league itself

[@miloszdravkovic7532]

Trip's best moments where at the jr cup

[@randomperson4975]

you kinda forgot about korrina, tyson, barry, and cameron, but other than that great video!

[@dancostello4872]

Tyson & Cameron only battled Ash once so they weren't eligible for this; he probably didn't realise Barry _was_ technically eligible because his second battle with Ash wasn't shown (except a snapshot of Pikachu beating Empoleon again); Korrina probably is a case of just forgetting about her lmao.

[@randomperson4975]

@@dancostello4872 he also forgot about tierno and trevor

[@lukki6551]

@@dancostello4872 Barry and Ash has multiple fight... The first one, snap that you mentioned, Gible v Empoleon in Gible catch episode and Monferno evolution episode (not complete fight)

[@jenniferdaniels701]

@@dancostello4872 Korrina was just a gym leader at first, then a friend we saw again in Journeys. But yeah, they did battle three times, I think it was. Once in the forest when they met, the gym battle, then the festival. So only once as rivals? Volkner is in the same boat- gym leader who was brought back to be a new rival.

[@KalosNinja]

But you all dont forget that Alain could be the only one on this list who Ash has never defeated and lost to not once but 2/3 times thats why I think hes the strongest yet, apart from what had happened with leon, I personally think that the writers wanted to end off Ashes journey just by adding some random guy who has only associated with the galar region no one has ever knew to just rush his battle with Alain like that😔.

[@WrestlingFan574]

Gary was Mr. 1-Up to Ash. Always a step ahead and always doing something better than Ash. He got more badges before Ash. He got a bigger Tauros than Ash in the Safari Zone even though Ash got more. He met Giovanni and faced Mewtwo before anyone even identified Mewtwo. Ash didn't battle Giovanni (didn't meet him until the Mewtwo Returns movie) and met Mewtwo in the first movie. Gary warns Ash of the mysterious and powerful Pokémon, later known as Mewtwo, but Ash battles Jesse & James instead since Giovanni goes on to hunt Mewtwo after it escapes. Gary was always the perfect foil to Ash but remained humble after losing in Johto

[@atulrai1713]

I believe Team Rocket deserves a place in this list

[@forjqoijasd]

I think he meant friendly rivals

[@Sebastian62608]

The sleep is especially stupid because they counted Squirtle as a faint when he was asleep >:(

[@VictorEmerald500i1]

You should probably make ash’s rival new team

[@TheLastSpider-Man]

I feel like Gary was a bit of a one trick pony. As a rival, Gary's dynamic with Ash was just to be a jerk and one-up Ash all the time. That's it. Of course, it was satisfying to see him get humbled and become Ash's friend down the line, but the type of rivalry they had was too one note. This simple kind of rivalry dynamic works better in the storytelling format of the games with Red and Blue

[@jamiekarbeling3026]

Gary is very overrated!!! What it’s true

[@ankurjain1]

My top 3 Ash's rivals are 1) paul 2) gary 3) Sawyer All three different personalities but still very important.

[@cooljack321]

Conway is really underrated here. He deserves to be higher

[@thatboyminus]

Who should be last then?

[@LittleFury-cw4ru]

Gladion has every single one of my favorite Pokémon except Nehilago

[@wizardmari3497]

Sawyer goated

[@justbeu_mia3583]

Fr

[@Gwilherm]

Alain : the plot device

[@user-cy6br4zi5p]

You should try calibrating gooey 448

[@JacobElyachar]

I wished Gary, Paul, Sawyer, and Kiawe came together to help train Ash with the Master Eight especially if Ash used his older Pokémon like Sceptile and Charizard in the training.

[@Mahendra.Jagannath-Swami]

Paul and kiawe have done his part and Sawyer will do his part if asked by ash then remaining only Gary who will not help him as he was busy in his stuff

[@user-uk2ou1vn9g]

I’m pretty sure trip was an early draft of Paul

[@DaARK_Chocolategang]

Ash and Sawyers rivalry might be a better rivalry than Alain and Ash Alain is a better character than Sawyer But the rivalry with Ash was never concluded. We were robbed of Ash vs Alain rematch.

[@nicolasvaras8964]

Also Alain as a rival for Ash lacked more about narrative, it feels like he lacks a little more essence and more imagination to be a great rival for Ash because the truth is that this rivalry was added at the very last minute, so it was rushed.

[@jenniferdaniels701]

I recently realized that an Ash Alain battle in the Masters' 8 wouldn't have been a good idea. A three on three would have been not enough for the fans- they'd only want a 6 on 6, it would have to be an amazing battle, and it would have been difficult to make the Ash v Leon final more difficult to turn into the most epic battle ever.

[@sSuper3roryt]

I thought that I was going to see team rocket in this list because They have been in ash’s As For 26 YEARS and battling him but hey maybe cause they’re villains or they always lost or they didn’t have an official battle but in alola in the dark type kahhona trail. But maybe cause they are nit ash’s rival but Pikachu. Idk

[@ssjlt7053]

to me alain will forever be my fav, from the story to his strength, i think hes the most complete character and rival

[@parthapratimpaul7848]

As a "Rival" Paul is better than Gary. Paul has certainly influenced Ash's philosophy, overall character, trainer self much more. But as a character Gary wins the race just because we can see his metamorphosis throughout the series. Paul just got lost amidst everything at the end. I hope he returns.

[@aureliamastergoomba1278]

3:21 Hey, it would’ve been worse if Ash got eliminated due to a bad judgement call.

[@dom_time6618]

I think morrison should be considered a rival

[@RedPineap]

Kukui isnt a rival. I see him more as just a father figure

[@videos43334dhdjj774h]

I think Cynthia would have been easily a Rival if Ash battle her more than once, One time in DP series with both his pikachu and his Infernape lost to her Garchomp and then in the masters eight tournament in pokemon journeys

[@RedPineap]

@@videos43334dhdjj774h nah id never see cynthia as a rival

[@eljordinio7647]

He kinda I'd when u consider his alter ego

[@sSuper3roryt]

Yeah even the narrator i think that’s the word did not say stephon name right LoL it definitely was the funniest of ash’s rival

[@ElJorindo3534N-xp4ss]

On one hand, the Ash vs Alain rematch we all hoped we'd get On another, at least these last three episodes actually seem important, which thank goodness for that cos that's what Ash's last few episodes should be Hopefully, Ash and N do obtain Latias here cos it wouldn't make much sense to set up their connection and bond only for it to go nowhere. Like, how many times have we seen that before? As for the final episode, I hope that Ash realizes he is a Pokemon master already cos that seems like the most likely and middle. a logical outcome at this point. Plus maybe we might also get some proper explanation of this video. Eljorindoi1736 user is still half wrong. Or a fanfic.

[@AsaruWatson]

8:15 it's not that we didn't like that battle - we just wanted to watch Bea fail 😂

[@Matte0369]

Gary always was the friend that ash hated to admit was a friend cuz well he was Gary: he had an entourage of cheerleaders and ppl glazing him up while also making silly comments about ash and always being ahead of him at everything but at the end of the day was as the douche asshole friend you know that you still like somehow… but Paul was THE rival. Paul and ash don’t think alike and don’t act alike to the point where they aren’t really friends in the end which in the Pokemon world where ash is only not friends with villains is a very important and interesting thing they did. Paul hurt ash’s soul by beating him with the method he uses to train Pokemon with the level of abuse, fear tactics and resentment of weakness while ash tries to conquer weakness through passion, love and conquering any problem with ppl instead of alone. Paul was the exact opposite of ash and they knew exactly how to really make you make need to see him lose while not hating him enough to think he’s as dangerous as a villain.

[@Anime-Doom]

Personally I will always consider Paul to be Ash's greatest Rival, I understand and respect Gary being many people's top pick but I just found the directly conflicting ideologies of Ash and Paul to be a far more interesting dynamic. On the other hand I never found Alain to be all that interesting, perhaps it's because I never saw the Mega Evolution specials but that just raises a big red flag about him. If you need external supplementary material to make something interesting, then it ISN'T interesting. Also Conway was done real dirty here, sure he can be a creep but he's a schemer and he was one of the most interesting character's in the whole Sinnoh season... And that's saying a LOT as Sinnoh has most of the best characters.

[@theabacross1581]

Barry is probably my abortion, he's literally the funniest mofo

[@hdm2181]

Everyone who are saying ash needed all 3 shenanigans to win against Leon, should remember that Ash was also not using his best team 😊

[@forjqoijasd]

When Goh said that ash having all three was “the results of lots of adventures” I started to think that ash’s win was completely fair because he worked hard to get all 3. Leon could’ve gotten all 3 but he didn’t, sucks to suck

[@omarsanchez8956]

Trip shouldn't be so higher in the list 😅, Trip had so much plot armor around Ash

[@ronnyday6294]

Conway last but he’s better than any of the ridiculous sun and moon crap😂

[@progskep]

At least Nando used a Lopunny

[@JeSsE10mCcOy11]

Yup, Gary Oak is (imho) the greatest rival that Ash ever had

[@rachitsaroha6arvgr284]

at 14:13 he said greninja the best water starter but he forgot swampert

[@AdrianP3833]

Paul > Gary Who agrees?

[@dr_007_]

I do

[@brandonlam3756]

True

[@roshan28294]

Me

[@mnw159]

No gary best

[@EWOODJ]

Meh

[@ch33seweasel42]

Animations for heracross vs kriketune were better than masters 8 battles? I mean, they could have been better for those, but this is just nostalgia bias talking. In no world were those animations better than almost anything in the Masters 8. Theres issues with how well those battles flow, I think the match with heracross is BETTER than most of the masters 8 stuff, but it it has 0 to do with the animations, because I think that's laughable. But I guess to each their own. Awesome video. Keep up the great work.

[@lukki6551]

Where is Bianca? She has 2 fights with Ash... Her first episode (Pignite v Pikachu) and double battle (Bianca and Juniper vs Ash and Cilan)

[@agatha6999]

I liked Conway for being a weirdo lol though I get hes an acquired taste

[@jenniferdaniels701]

He was stalker-y. Memorable, but for good and bad reasons.

[@agatha6999]

@@jenniferdaniels701 Yeah but you know when the main rival is an abusive jerk, you just gotta embrace the fact morals are a bit the other way

[@Sky-td6xc]

Bro my name is Tobias 😢#Drizzy style

[@forjqoijasd]

I don’t like the Machamp Lucario battle because it’s just so slow and it takes them like twenty minutes to use a single move Also, if Kiawe counts as a rival, then my boy Clemont has to count

[@CrossoverFan4life]

Paul should be number 1

[@sannsett]

is barry not considered as ash's rival?

[@chargeentertainment2981]

Trip. Aka Great Value Paul

[@thatboyminus]

Walmart Paul

[@nicolasvaras8964]

Good, but I kinda bit disagree with Gary and Alain being 1st and so high respectively, anyways it's an opinion.

[@sSuper3roryt]

This just reminds how Pokémon is great and gets kinda lesser by the newer. Idk how to say it but it’s definitely a feeling that some people have. But I’m not like gonna say I hate the newer Pokémon anime/games but it’s definitely nit same as old like you said “a master battle mind” vs a goofy ah girl who had a pedant that turned into a Pokémon and nos they are trying to find the six hero’s to get to raku a paradise? And it’s just Like when ash got a face swap in Pokémon sun and moon.

[@sSuper3roryt]

It’s like we used to look at a battle in every episode in Pokémon where ash was the protagonist but now in Pokémon horizon there is less battling and more talking but hey there is always Pokémon

[@chrissheehan5793]

Idgaf bout any rivals other than Gary and Paul. I’m basic lol 😂

[@thatboyminus]

They top 2 tho